Previews

Thomas Schultz

Michael Zwiebach - September 9, 2009

Despite celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Old First Concerts has an undeservedly low profile in the Bay Area.

If music is your passion, then you can do no better than to see and hear the Mark Morris Dance Group in one of its three performances at Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall when Cal Performances kicks off its 2009-2010 season. The dance group will be accompanied by members of its own MMDG Music Ensemble.

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Well-Deserved Fan-dom

Marianne Lipanovich - September 7, 2009

Joel Fan can be described in any number of ways. He’s a brilliant pianist who made his performing debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11.

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Young British Voices Raised

Joseph Sargent - September 7, 2009

Among England’s cultural treasures, the centuries-long tradition of collegiate choir singing surely ranks at the top of the scale. These university institutions are charged, first and foremost, with the habitual singing of Anglican liturgies, a sacred tradition that has spawned some of England’s finest choral repertory.

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Clerestory's Favorite Things

Jason Victor Serinus - September 7, 2009

With a fraternal nod to Julie Andrews, the men of Clerestory are set to open their fall season with more than a few of their favorite things.

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Philharmonia Baroque Opens With “Apotheosis of the Dance”

Joseph Sargent - August 24, 2009

An aura of glamour seems to surround the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra these days. Its 2009-2010 season, auspiciously titled the “Season of Stars,” is tailor-made for the glitterati, with a lineup of celebrity guest artists that is exceptional even for this ensemble, including Susan Graham, Viktoria Mullova, and Jordi Savall.

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Dubowsky Ensemble Meets Its Meridian

Brian Gleeson - August 21, 2009

One of the great benefits of living in the Bay Area is the opportunity to tap into its vibrant new-music scene. This movable feast of experimental music seems to be fueled by an unending parade of gifted composers and performers who have spent their lives redefining musical boundaries.

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Quinteto Latino ChampioningMusic From South of the Border

Lisa Petrie - August 21, 2009

Patrons of chamber music presenters around the world are familiar with typical ensembles like the string quartet or the piano trio; not so much the woodwind quintet, which tends to be treated like a poor cousin.

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Bad Girl Sings in San José's Manon

Georgia Rowe - August 20, 2009

Opera San José, which closed out its 2008-2009 season with Bizet's Carmen, opens the 2009 fall season with another operatic bad girl: Manon. Jules Massenet’s 1884 opera opens Sept. 12 at the California Theatre.

The sociopolitical milieu of Manon’s 18th-century France lies, of course, a considerable distance from Carmen’s Seville.